These commands refers back to laws and rules of verse 25, and in translation it may be best to use the same phraseology in both places. Both phrases are summary terms of the regulations contained in the covenant.

It is impossible to identify the book of the Law of God with any book or part of a book now in the Old Testament. Soggin says that the Hebrew noun usually translated “book” means here “written document of a treaty”; according to him the identification of the Law was added later, when the original sense of the Hebrew word was forgotten. So he translates “And Joshua wrote these words in the document of God.” Soggin may well be right, but the translator cannot omit the noun Law from the text. The book of the Law of God may be translated “the book which contained (or, listed) God’s Laws for his people.”

Then he took a large stone and set it up may be translated “Then he set up a large stone.” The text obviously means that Joshua was the one responsible for having this done, and so one may translate “Joshua commanded some of his men to set up a large stone….” Or, so as not to mention a third party, “Joshua caused a large stone to be set up.”

Under the oak tree in the LORD’s sanctuary leaves the impression that a large oak tree was growing in the Lord’s sanctuary. It would be better to translate “under the large oak tree beside the LORD’s sanctuary.” In verse 25 the geographical reference “at Shechem” may be difficult to include with ease within the text. If that is the case, then it may be deleted from verse 25 and included here: “in the LORD’s sanctuary at Shechem.”

The oak tree is probably a sacred tree at the shrine; reference is made to it in Genesis 12.6; 35.4; Judges 9.6 (in this last passage a different Hebrew phrase is used, the oak of the pillar).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .